The Cutie Board Game Map, Part 1
The Cutie Board Game Map, Part 1 * Season #: 5 * Season Ep#: 1 * Overall Ep#: 92 * Previous: Sunlight's Kingdom, Part 2 * Next: The Cutie Board Game Map, Part 2 Plot In this episode, Princess Sunlight and her friends unlock a magical map in her new castle, which leads to them to a rather mysterious village where the inhabitants have given up their cutie marks. Trivia TBA Script Prologue (Opening shot: fade in to a stretch of road in Trottingville during the day. Ponies are going about their business in no particular hurry here, and the camera zooms in slowly pat them toward Sunlight Glimmer's tree-styled crystal castle—the end result of her battle against Titan. Dissolve to the upper reaches of the throne room inside and tilt down to frame Sunlight and her friends entering. Rainbow Star, as usual, is the only one of the six airborne.) (A close-up of Flame's small throne, alongside Sunlight's, shows him to be fast asleep, snoring loudly and lying sideways over one armrest. Behind him, Inkie Pie hops across the room and onto his own seat. Rainbow flies past next, the camera panning to follow her toward her throne. The motion brings Sunlight into view, standing pensively alongside, during the following line. As each pony in turn sits down, the copy of his/her cutie mark set into the upper portion of her throne begins to glow. * Sunlight Glimmer: Let’s go through this one more time. (Rainbow sits.) * Rainbow Star: (sighing; hoof to face) We’ve been over it, like, a million times, Sunlight! (standing on cushion) We found all six keys, defeated Titan, and got this sweet castle. End of story. * Sunlight Glimmer: Yes, but why? (Cut to Apple Joe.) * Apple Joe: (crossing to his throne, jumping on) I don’t know, sugar cube. Maybe it’s just your new house, and there ain’t nothin’ more to it than that. * Melosa: (from o.s.) I must say… (Cut to her, taking a seat.) …speaking strictly on aesthetics, there really doesn’t need to be more to it. It’s all simply divine! * Buttercup: (climbing onto his, sitting) I agree with Sunlight, and Melosa, and Apple Joe, and Rainbow Star, and Inkie Pie. (Close-up up of the snoozing Flame; he continues o.s.) Eh, and probably Flame. (Sunlight paces the gold central circle ringed in by the thrones.) * Sunlight Glimmer: As Princess, I’ve been chosen to spread the magic of friendship across Alquastria. So why would the Tree of Harmony want us to sit in a castle in Trottingville? (hopping onto her throne) It doesn’t make any sense! (The flare of light on her throne’s mark is preceded by a brief flash from the one on her haunch. As all stare worriedly up at the markings set above their heads, the orange star emits a broad, pale red beam that lances toward the center of the floor. Five more quickly join it from the other thrones, matching their occupants’ coat colors and forming a six-part circle that completely covers the gold of the floor. Low ridges of jagged crystal facets erupt upward from the periphery and trace in toward the center, the light show fading away at the same time. When they intersect, a broad circular table begins to rise and the screen fades to white.) (Fade in to a close-up of Flame as he finally wakes up from his nap with a yawn, now bathed in radiance from this new phenomenon. He sits up, eyes popping wide in alarm; cut to an overhead view of the table and zoom out to frame the entire room. It now displays a remarkably detailed map, glowing gently in shades of pale blue, and all six ponies are staring in utter disbelief.) * Flame: Is that new? I like it. (Fade to black.) --- OPENING THEME --- Act one (Opening shot: fade in to an overhead shot of the map and the group, now all standing on the cushions of their thrones. Zoom out slowly, then cut to tabletop level. Flame begins to walk across, showing the map to be only an image as his feet pass through the small-scale landscape. Each footstep causes that spot to glow briefly.) * Flame: This is incredible! It’s got all of Alquastria! (Inkie peers at the site of his family's rock farm.) * Inkie Pie: Hi, Mom and Dad! (One scaly foot comes down right on that spot, causing the big blue eyes to instantly shrink to dots. Sunlight's cutie mark begins to pulse again; Inkie's is next, eliciting a giggle, then Buttercup's. Images of all six marks float free and up toward the ceiling, creating a formation with Sunlight's mark being orbited by the other five. This drops back to the table, hovering just above the map and cruising slowly through the simulated terrain to stop at the foothills of a mountain range that runs close to the Diamond Empire. Flame finds himself unceremoniously hoisted away by the Princess’s magic. The two pegasi have left their seats for a closer look, and the marks of all six have quieted down again. * Buttercup: (pointing to spots on map) But…if this is Trottingville, why are our cutie marks over there? (Flame now stands next to Sunlight.) * Sunlight Glimmer: I don’t know, but it seems like the map wants us to find out. The Tree, the chest, this castle, and now the map. How can we not follow it? (Rainbow flies over to eye the foothills very closely.) * Rainbow Star: (smirking) You know what…? (crossing to Sunlight) ...There's a ton of room for dangerous adventure along that route. Count me in! (Apple Joe/Inkie/Melosa are all off their thrones now.) * Apple Joe: Ah, shoot. I reckon you’re right. * Inkie Pie: Well, I was planning on organizing my baking sheets… (grinning) …but okay! * Melosa: (sighing contentedly) Very well. (These last two lean in toward Buttercup, who soon finds himself hemmed in from behind by Rainbow.) * Buttercup: (adjusting glasses) Eh, maybe I’ll just stay here with Flame. (The daredevil shoots him a dirty look.) * Flame: (from o.s.) Awesome! (Cut to him, now standing on his throne again. He has donned a big foam-rubber hand whose fingers are cut into claw shapes, and on his head is a helmet with a gem-shaped beverage container mounted on either side. Straws run from these down the back and curve around under the ears to reach his mouth. He is, in short, ready for a day at the stadium.) * Flame: more TBA